Elgin City vs Edinburgh City FC

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Match Info

Date Time Competition Season Full Time
August 11, 2018 3:00 pm SPFL League 2 2018/19 90'

Ground

Borough Briggs
Boroughbriggs Rd, Elgin IV30, UK

Results

ClubGoalsOutcome
Elgin City1Win
Edinburgh City0Loss

Match Report

Second match of the League campaign, and a set-back as we went down at Elgin City by the only goal of the match – a match we didn’t deserve to lose.

City were unchanged from the side which defeated Albion Rovers, apart from Keiran Stewart replacing Gareth Rodger – Liam Henderson’s international clearance was still not through.  Elgin’s line-up included noted goalscorer Shane Sutherland and former City legend Craig Beattie.

The home side started briskly and Antell had to punch away a curling McGovern free-kick, and moments later tip a Cameron shot over the bar.  Edinburgh City soon took control, and in 11 minutes Smith’s free-kick from the right was met at the back post by Henderson whose header crashed off the bar with Gourlay helpless.  Nine minutes later a smart touch from Henderson allowed Smith to run straight at goal, but a McHardy-Beattie pincer movement robbed him on the edge of the box; while in 26 minutes Taylor’s low shot was narrowly wide, as was a Thomson free-kick in 33 minutes.

After this the match calmed down, and apart from an angled shot from Taylor and a Stewart header there was little of note until the hour mark – but that was disaster for City.  Receiving a ball wide on the right, Cooper pulled Balatoni out of position before launching a fast-passing attack in which the first City player to touch the ball was picking it out of the net.  Cooper to McGovern to Wilson to McLeish, control and square to Shane Sutherland, dodge Thomson and, with Laird and Stewart bearing down, turn and snap a low shot inside the right-hand post.

This was a wake-up call for City, and within the next three minutes Laird’s header was saved, Smith broke through the centre to see his shot blocked for a corner, and Gourlay dived to save from Taylor.  At the other end McLeish’s overhead kick went wide for Elgin, and moments later Henderson had the ball in the net for City but the whistle had already gone for a previous foul.  The visitors pounded the Elgin goal but the ball would just not find the net.

In the closing minutes Elgin had dangerous attempts via Alasdair Sutherland and Chris McLeish, but as the final whistle blew City were attacking once more.  A defeat which should have been a draw, and if Henderson’s header in 11 minutes had gone in, who knows what way the match would have gone?

Man of the match:  Danny Handling

A hard fought game ended in narrow defeat to Elgin City.

Elgin City

21Kyle Gourlay Goalkeeper
15David Wilson Defender
5Craig Beattie Forward
4Darryl McHardy Defender
2Matthew Cooper Defender
8Brian Cameron Midfielder
6Jon-Paul McGovern Defender
16Scott Millar Midfielder
3Jordan Lowden Defender
9Chris McLeish Forward
10Shane Sutherland Forward 60'
1Steven Dunn Goalkeeper
17Ryan Farquhar Forward
  1 1 2

Edinburgh City

1Calum Antell Goalkeeper
2Craig Thomson Midfielder
3Robbie McIntyre Defender
4Andrew Black 15 Midfielder
5Conrad Balatoni Defender
6Marc Laird Midfielder
7Allan Smith Forward
9Blair Henderson Forward
10Danny Handling Midfielder
11Graham Taylor 17 Midfielder
16Keiran Stewart 39 Defender
15Brad Donaldson 4 Defender
17Calum Hall 11 Defender
18John Dunn Midfielder
21Fraser Morton Goalkeeper
26Mark Tennant Midfielder
39Regan Lumsden 16 Forward
  4
Goals
1
0
Assists
1
0
Yellow Cards
2
4
Red Cards
0
0

KO KO 59 60 81 89 FT